Pirates Of Gohar

Chapter 3

Everyone promptly forgot about Blade for a while. The captain was clearly determined to be sure all his own men were armed and ready to fight before he let Blade loose among them. Blade didn't blame the man, but he didn't like the prospect of facing the pirates armed only with the sword and the club and wearing nothing but his bare skin.

The pirates themselves were no particular surprise to Blade. Virtually every civilization trading by sea found pirates preying on that trade sooner or later. At times pirates grew so prosperous that they became almost like independent war-like states. Blade remembered the pirates who'd fought a full-scale war against the Kingdom of Royth.

So the seven ships were a convoy, sailing together for mutual protection. The seventh ship astern was probably an escorting warship. Blade looked aft, and saw the black ship pulling out to port. He'd guessed right. She was low and rakish, with lateen sails on both masts. Though she carried plenty of sail, she was clearly designed to be easily rowed as well. Twenty oars were already in action on the side Blade could see, and armed men were gathering amidships. Sunlight blazed from the metal of armor and weapons.

The warship now came racing up the port side of the convoy, red oars beating fast and foam curling up silver at her bow. The shape of the bow wave hinted at a ram lurking just below the surface. On the stern someone pounded away at two large drums, and someone else signaled with a long pole with a colored disk on either end.

Meanwhile, the crew of Blade's ship were arming themselves with a speed and efficiency that suggested they were used to this sort of thing. Blade hoped they were, or he might wind up regretting his alliance with them. The weapon racks on the aftercastle emptied swiftly. From below someone began handing up armor. The two archers got scale-mail jackets like the captain's. Nearly everyone else got a coat of boiled leather and a helmet with a jointed tailpiece to protect the neck.

Two men staggered up through the hatch, carrying an iron pot filled with hot coals, and emptied it over the side. Other men who'd finished pulling on their armor were scurrying about, setting out buckets of water and sand, axes, and more spears. Three fresh men took over at the tiller. Beside them a sailor laid out vials, bottles, and strips of cloth for bandages.

Blade had just about decided that he really was going to have to fight this battle in his skin when someone ran up to the foc'sle and threw a bundle at his feet. «Here, man! Cap'n says you put this on.» Blade found trousers, a linen shirt, and a helmet. The helmet fit perfectly and the trousers were snug but wearable. The shirt was hopeless and Blade wound up wrapping it around his left arm as a protection against knife thrusts. He could have done better, but in most kinds of fighting he could make his great speed a substitute for armor.

As Blade finished dressing, the black galley cut across the bow of his ship, then backed her oars to drop astern. She passed between Blade's ship and the one to port, then took station between the two lines of merchant ships. All the men on the galley's deck were heavily armed. Half of them carried bows and quivers, while most of the rest carried spears or two-handed swords.

A little more maneuvering by the six merchant ships followed, and now Blade began to see what the Goharans were planning. The six merchant ships were moving into a rough square, with the galley in the middle. The merchant ships were close enough to support one another, and there was room inside the square for the galley and her fighting men to move freely to the rescue of any merchant ship which needed even more help.

The merchant ships were plodding along at no more than three or four knots, so even the best seamanship couldn't get them into battle formation quickly. By the time the square was taking shape, the pirates were in sight from the foc'sle of Blade's ship. Everyone was still too busy to tell him where to go or what to do, so he stayed where he was, watching the pirates close in on the convoy.

The three pirate ships were low and rakish, with two high masts carrying enormous lateen sails. The hulls were painted and the sails dyed a bluish-gray, obviously to blend in with the sea and sky. The ships had platforms rigged along either side, and another mounted on their stubby bowsprits. They were coming in under full sail, heeling over so far that the leeward platforms sometimes churned up spray. They were lean, stripped for action, and thoroughly formidable-true wolves of the sea, coming down fast on the flock of sheep. At least that was the way it might look to an outsider, but Blade had his doubts that the merchant ships would prove quite so sheeplike.

With their lateen sails, the three pirates could sail much closer to the wind than the square-rigged, fat-hulled merchant ships. They came in from well off to starboard, not shortening sail at all and staying as close together as if they were running a race. Apparently this was the pirates' reply to the tactics of the Goharans-striking all together, to board the same ship or pair of ships in overwhelming numbers and carry them off before the escorts could intervene. Pirates or privateers could always cram more fighting men aboard their ships than any merchant captain who needed to show a profit on the voyage.

Certainly these ships were carrying heavy crews. The decks of all three pirate ships were crowded, and all the men Blade could see were apparently wearing red-lacquered armor or red body paint. From foremast to stern, the deck of each pirate ship showed the rusty red of dried blood. It gave them a distinctly sinister appearance.

The pirates drew still closer, in the oppressive silence possible only in a sea battle fought without gunpowder. Water clucked and splashed alongside Blade's ship, the planks underfoot creaked, occasionally someone swore or gave an order. Once a bucket fell, with a clatter like an explosion. At times Blade had the feeling that these ships would vanish like mist if he blinked or coughed.

Blade also realized that the pirates were making his ship their first victim. Up here on the foc'sle he might have a better view, but soon he'd also be a better target. Blade dropped down to the main deck, picked up two spears, stuck them point down in the crack between two planks, then stepped to the railing.

By now the pirates were so close that men were climbing out on the bowsprits. They seemed to be wearing only kneelength breeches and sleeveless tunics, with flat black hats. Every square inch of exposed skin was painted rust-red. On the very end of the bowsprit of the nearest ship stood a barechested figure, brandishing two curved swords over his head.

Then one of the archers aboard Blade's ship drew, his bow twanged, and an arrow stood out from the pirate's chest. He staggered, dropping one sword, then toppled from his perch. He was still holding the other sword as he struck the water and the bow of his own ship smashed him down into the depths.

Like a pin puncturing a balloon, the pirate's death released all the pent-up noise on both sides. Blade found himself shouting wordless cries along with all his shipmates, while spearbutts thudded on the deck and the flats of swords clattered against the railings. From the pirate ships war cries floated back, along with obscene threats, the shrill wail of flutes, and the thud of furiously beaten drums. The archer shot again, and the cries and threats from the pirates grew even louder. Blade noticed that in spite of all their shouting the pirates didn't forget to throw themselves flat on the decks. He waited for the pirates' archers to reply, and thought he was waiting calmly until he realized that he was holding his breath. No matter how many battles you fight, it still makes a difference to know that you may be dead in the next minute.

Then Blade had no more time to think, only to react like the superb fighting machine he was. The leading pirate ship seemed to rush toward him at the speed of an express train. No arrows came from her decks, and Blade realized now that the pirates had no archers. Suddenly the platform along the near side of the ship was filled with pirates. Some carried long spears with barbed crosspieces. Others swung grappling hooks around their heads on lengths of rope, then let fly.

Blade ducked as one hook flew straight toward him, then heard a cry from behind. The hook was caught in a sailor's shoulder. As the man was dragged forward, Blade slashed down with his sword, cutting the rope. Then he picked out the pirate hauling in on the rope, snatched one of his spears from the deck, and threw. The pirate stiffened, looked down at the spear jutting from his thigh, then gripped it with both hands and pulled it out. Blade saw tears running from his wide dark eyes as the blood poured from the wound, but he stayed on his feet. The spear went overboard, then Blade was staring, as the pirate raised his left hand in an obscene gesture.

It wasn't the gesture that made Blade stare. It was the hand making it. It was broad and thick, with the usual four stubby fingers and a thumb. It also had webbing between the fingers and thumb, and instead of five nails it had five hooked, needle-pointed claws. Fingers, thumb, and hand were all covered with fine rust-red scales, and Blade saw that those scales stretched all the way up the arm and on to cover the whole body. Pirates were sometimes a «people apart,» but not often this much! The pirates of Gohar weren't even completely human.

Still, anyone who could pull that spear out of his thigh and stay on his feet afterward was a formidable opponent. Blade picked up his second spear and raised it for a throw. Then everything seemed to happen at once. The pirate ship swept alongside, with a terrible grinding and cracking of timbers. Part of the platform buckled and disintegrated, with a sound like a wooden box being smashed with an ax. Several pirates fell between the two ships as the platform gave way under them. Blade heard their screams even over the explosion of war cries and curses as the pirates swarmed over the railing onto the merchant ship's deck.

Blade saw a pirate coming at him with an ax, and threw his second spear almost by reflex. At close range it went completely through the pirate's torso and pinned him to the railing. After that, Blade had to avoid the rush of several more pirates. He drew his sword with one hand, raised the club with the other, and settled down to what he knew would be a long and not necessarily successful fight.

One pirate thrust a spear at him and he smashed the club down on the pirate's hand. The pirate hardly blinked, but his thrust went wide and Blade managed to turn and meet another attacker with an ax. Blade slashed sideways with his sword, chopping halfway through the ax handle and completely through one hand holding it. The pirate screamed hoarsely, held onto the ax with his remaining hand, and swung at Blade again. It was a wild swing and the pirate lost his balance without touching Blade. He went down and Blade's sword slashed across the back of his neck. Even one of the indestructible pirates of Gohar couldn't keep fighting with his head nearly hacked free of his shoulders.

By now the deck around Blade was as slippery as ice with the blood of both sailors and pirates. He shifted position in search of better footing, beating off several half-hearted attacks as he did. Apparently enough pirates had seen him fighting to look for easier prey elsewhere. Blade found himself falling back into a ragged line with his surviving shipmates. Now he had friends on either side, and time to look around. He put a spear through a pirate trying to get around the end of the line, then looked to the right and left.

The pirates outnumbered the crew of the merchant ship better than two to one, and they were brave, determined, and tough fighters. On the other hand, the sailors were just as determined, and they had their body armor and their archers.

Blade saw that one archer was sprawled on the aftercastle, his face a bloody mask, but the other was still shooting as fast as he could find targets. A good many of the pirates were now attacking with bleeding wounds or even arrows sticking out of their arms and legs.

The second pirate ship had grappled one of the smaller merchantmen. From what little Blade could make out, the pirates were winning by sheer weight of numbers. The black Goharan galley was approaching. The last pirate ship was just visible, standing off beyond the one alongside Blade's ship.

Then the black galley ran alongside the merchantman, and a gangplank was dropping across the merchantman's railing. Swordsmen poured across from the galley, while her archers held their fire as friend and foe got thoroughly mixed up on the merchantman's crowded deck.

A moment later, the brief lull in Blade's battle came to a noisy end. Drums pounded aboard the last pirate ship, and grappling hooks flew across to her comrade. Sweating pirates pulled the two ships together, and then the last ship's crew swarmed across to reinforce the first one's. Among them was a pirate even larger than Blade, wearing only a heavy leather loinguard and leather braces on both wrists, wielding an ax nearly as tall as he was. On his chest an immense claw was painted in white. He was shouting orders, and the others jumped to obey him.

The pirate chief charged straight at Blade. Blade stepped forward, knowing that he'd be in trouble if he let a man with that ax choose the distance. As he closed, Blade slashed twice, but the pirate chief was so fast that neither slash struck with its full force or where Blade intended. One left a flesh wound just above the pirate's left elbow, the other took a chip out of the ax handle. Then the pirate shifted his grip on the ax and thrust with the spiked head at Blade's stomach. Blade had to dance aside to avoid being impaled on the spike, but as he did he swung at the pirate's head with his club. The club caught the pirate just above one ear, not really hurting him but provoking him into a serious mistake.

Instead of leaving both hands on the ax, the chief reached up and gripped Blade's wrist. Blade gritted his teeth as the huge red hand tightened on his wrist and expected it to snap at any moment, but with his free hand he swung the sword twice. The pirate's right arm gaped open and bloody, then his right shoulder, then the ax clattered to the deck. Blade hurled himself backward, jerking his wrist free and feeling as if he'd left a few fingers behind in doing so. Then he raised his sword high overhead with both hands and brought it down. The pirate chief was bending to recover his ax, but this second mistake saved him. Blade's sword came down on his head with the flat rather than the edge, and instead of splitting his skull it merely knocked him senseless.

The pirate chief collapsed at Blade's feet, and a collective shudder seemed to run through all his followers. Blade dropped his sword and picked up the ax. Against opponents as tough as the pirates, its smashing power would be more useful. Then he whirled the ax completely around his head with one hand, making the air hum, brought it down into striking position, and charged forward.

The pirates' line parted as Blade hit it. The pirate to Blade's right died with the ax crushing his skull. The pirate to Blade's left sprang clear, but died a moment later with an arrow in his chest. Then Blade was in the open, with the merchant sailors swarming through the gap in the pirates' line to join him.

The merchant ship's railing appeared ahead. Blade took it at a leap, soaring clear over the narrow gap of water between the two ships. He landed on the pirate ship's platform, and heard planks crack under his impact. He leaped again, and managed to get onto the pirates' deck before the rest of the platform dropped into the sea.

Now Blade was alone on the enemy's deck. For the moment there was no way for his shipmates to follow him, but he'd attacked so fast that the pirates didn't realize they only faced one man. Now he went into action so furiously that most of the pirates didn't live long enough to learn the truth. Blade's ax danced and whirled around him, until approaching him was rather like trying to grab a rotating buzz saw barehanded. He cleared a circle around him, then started forward, stepping over the bodies and parts of bodies he'd strewn across the deck.

Before he'd gone three steps he found merchant sailors crowding around him, grabbing his arms and shoulders to pull back and shouting in his ear: «Enough!»

«Love o' the gods, no more!»

«Ye've done ten men's work today.»

«We'll not lose our lucky man!»

Blade shook off the hands and was about to reply when all the sailors started cheering so wildly they couldn't have heard him. While he was fighting on the deck of the first pirate ship, the last one had taken aboard all the survivors from both and cast off. She was a hundred yards away and her sails were filling as she turned to flee. Most of the survivors were crowded amidships. Some must have gone below and manned the oars Blade saw thrusting out of ports below the side platforms.

Blade didn't think that either oars or sails were going to get the ship clear in time. The black galley was racing in toward her at a speed rowers couldn't hope to keep up for more than a few minutes. They wouldn't have to, either. The galley would intercept the pirate ship long before the other could either gain speed or come about on a new course. A lateen-rigged ship can sail closer to the wind than a square-rigger, but a galley driven by hard-worked oars can ignore the wind entirely.

The gap between the pursuer and the pursued shrank to two hundred yards, then one hundred. The decks of the galley were almost deserted, and now Blade saw why. She'd left half her fighting men to defend the second merchantman and board the pirate attacking her. The rest of the crew was now below at the oars. Dividing your forces this way was always a gamble, but here it looked like a winning one. Blade hoped he'd have a chance to meet the galley captain, who seemed to know his business.

As the black galley closed in, the pirates saw they weren't going to escape and instead turned to meet their enemy. The pirate's oars thrashed, trying to turn the ship around in spite of the drag of her sails to meet the galley bow to bow. The pirates didn't succeed. The galley swept in, her oars suddenly trailed as her rowers braced themselves for the crash, then her ram drove hard into the pirate's port side. Even across several hundred yards of water Blade heard the screams from pirates crushed by the ram or maimed by flailing oars. Other pirates flew into the air, as if from a springboard, as the port-side platform buckled under them.

The pirates started throwing grappling hooks, and if they'd been able to hold the galley they might still have boarded her. Instead the galley's rowers backed water furiously, pulling clear of their crippled enemy before any hooks could land. The galley's oars trailed again as the rowers poured up on deck, snatching up weapons apparently laid out ready for them.

As it turned out, there wasn't much further work for the galley's crew. Before she was well clear of the pirate, the other ship was listing sharply to port. A few pirates dropped their weapons and began leaping over the side. The rest clung to the rigging, apparently determined to go down with their ship. The galley made no effort to pick up the swimmers. In fact, as soon as they were within range, the men on her deck started hurling spears and stones and shooting arrows at the pirates in the water. One by one they screamed and thrashed out their lives in a flurry of blood and foam, or just quietly sank. By the time the last of the swimmers was gone, so was the pirate ship. Nothing was left behind except a dozen or so floating bodies, and a patch of sea faintly tinted pink.

The cheering around Blade had stopped when the galley rammed the pirate. Now it started again, and much of the cheering was for Blade. If the deck of the pirate ship hadn't been slick with blood and swaying gently to the waves, some of Blade's shipmates would have tried to lift him on their shoulders. As it was, they pounded his back and shoulders and embraced him until he felt he wanted some armor to keep his ribs intact. Most of the Goharans were smaller than he was, but they seemed to be nearly all muscle.

At last Blade pushed his way clear of the sailors and scrambled back aboard the merchant ship. If the Goharans fought the pirates without taking prisoners, Blade wanted to get back to the pirate chief he'd stunned and protect him. As a matter of principle, he'd be damned if he was going to let anyone kill a man he'd taken prisoner. Also, he wanted to learn more about the pirates than he suspected the Goharans would care to tell him. He was on the Gobarans' side for now, but that sort of thing could very easily change in Dimension X.